Energy Secretary Chu Admits Administration OK with High Gas Prices

[ibleedgreen]

Energy Secretary Chu Admits Administration OK with High Gas Prices

Yahoo! Contributor Network
By Mark Whittington | Yahoo! Contributor Network – 12 hrs ago

This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.

COMMENTARY | President Barack Obama's Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu uttered the kind of Washington gaffe that consists of telling the truth when inconvenient. According to Politico, Chu admitted to a House committee that the administration is not interested in lowering gas prices.

Chu, along with the Obama administration, regards the spike in gas prices as a feature rather than a bug. High gas prices provide an incentive for alternate energy technology, a priority for the White House, and a decrease in reliance on oil for energy.

The Heritage Foundation points out that hammering the American consumer with high gas prices to make electric and hybrid cars more appealing is consistent with Obama administration policy and Chu's philosophy. That explains the refusal to allow the building of the Keystone XL pipeline and to allow drilling in wide areas of the U.S. and offshore areas.

The consequences of the policy are not likely to be of benefit to the Obama administration. The Republican National Committee has already issued a video highlighting the spike in gas prices and the failure of the administration to address the issue.

Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich has issued a half-hour video touting an energy plan he claims would result in $2.50 a gallon gasoline. The plan is based on unfettered drilling for oil and gas instead of a reliance on green energy. Gingrich has also savaged Obama's touting of algae based biofuel as "weird."

Chu has likely highlighted an issue Republicans are going to pick up and run with. Americans are not going to be appreciative of schemes to hit them in the wallet so the American economy can shift to green energy. Besides American traditional adherence to the free market, the idea of being fleeced by a deliberate government policy is likely to be greeted with anger.

Add into the mix green energy fiascos like Solyndra, and Chu might well have kindled a full blown scandal.

How the Obama administration reacts to the expected firestorm is open to question. Green energy is as part of its fundamental religion as is universal health care, another unpopular Obama policy. If it tries to bull ahead, the electorate will likely punish Obama and the Democrats. If it tries to backtrack, Obama looks weak and facilitating, and likely will still not appease gas strapped Americans experiencing price shock at the gas pump.

[Jet_Engine1]

When are these fools going to learn that you can NOt legislate Scientific Progress and breakthroughs. When "Alternative Energy" sources are efficient and cost effective to manufacture, buy, and use.....people will buy/use it.

Till then, they'll stick with the proven, efficient, cheap, available option.

Remember back in the 1990s during the Clinton years when the debate to drill/pump/refine more oil here was going on? Remember the standard Democrat answer...."Well, even if we start to drill more now, we won't even begin to feel any effect in supply or price for at least 10 years"?

Yeah, that was almost 2 decades ago. Way to be forward thinking. Now we refuse to drill for our own commodities out of some weird, misguided, and insane Gaia Worship while Cuba is going to allow China to slant drill into the Gulf of Mexico.

Hooray...China is going to "drink our milkshake".

Hey Obama, you socialist moron, want to reduce poverty, reduce unemployment, end "the worst recession since the great depression" , and make everyone but the Green Party and ELF happy?

Open Drilling, but have a provision in the permitting that says any productive oil field/site is prohibited from exporting the oil for a period of 20 years from the time the rig is productive (it IS "our" commodity and should be treated as a restricted commodity, much like technology). Approve the keystone pipeline. Greenlight the building of another refinery or two. Loosen restrictions on building more Nuclear plants.

US/Canadian Oil instead of Wahhabi controlled oil. No more OPEC. Plenty of Jobs. Less chance of accidents in shipping the oil. Lower prices. Stronger Economy. More tax revenue.

If Barry did that, he could be President for life.

[pope]

This is the same clown who said he wanted the US paying what Europe pays, 8 DOLLARS A GALLON!!!!!!!

Wake up idiots!

[Gundermerikan]

All the Drilling and Pipelines may mess up our water table, you know the underground reservior called an aquifer? The pipelines, did you know they leak? Ya, in fact drilling leaks too, and the Petro Industry would just as soon spend $100 million on lobbyists or lawyers than $1 million to CLEAN UP THEIR ACT. You who wanna dig up dirt on the net go check that out. Rest assured the Republicans don't want anything free access including water.

Hey Pope you wanna live in pollution go to Russia. Putin is thinking same way you do maybe he will take a liking to U. Twenty years after the fall of the USSR if you know what I do, they've a declining population, birth rate, and lifespan.

[pope]

Gundercommie, why did Bill Clinton come out in favor of the Keystone pipeline today? Does your liberal hero want to "mess up the water table"?

I take Chu at his own words dopey, he has said time an time again he wants higher gas prices. Translation, libs want their "green gravy train" to roll on, seeing how great the likes of Solyndra and the Volt are doing, who wouldn't sign up for that?

[MnJetFan]

A frigging Chu!

[Gundermerikan]

Oh Clinton is a real bastard, the one who signed off on the Financial Modernization Plans. Another ruinous decision. Never should a been Prez, we'd be better off with Bush 41. From Arkansas Huckabee was a Helluva lot better at least they got rid of him in that state, but the clown won't go away. They kicked Globalization Plans into high gear and I'd like to take the same shot at his rear end